Watch Calif. Police Take Down Carjacking Suspect

By Dominique Williams

Source The Sacramento Bee

Video captures how a police officer-involved shooting unfolded this month after an attempted carjacking arrest turned violent in North Sacramento.

Footage from three body-worn cameras and one dash cam, released Friday, show what transpired, beginning with officers contacting the victim of the Feb. 8 carjacking and a day later, a suspect — identified as Clayton Freeman — being found in the stolen car.

The carjacking occurred in the 100 block of Stanford Avenue in North Sacramento, police said.

“I looked and there was a guy in the car and then I stopped and I was like, ‘No, please don’t do this,’” the victim told police. “I walked around to try and get in the car and he took off and he kind of drug me.”

About 9:45 a.m. the next day, a patrol officer located the vehicle, with Freeman inside, parked near Cantalier Street and Baseball Alley.

Freeman and the officer are seen in the video quarreling over the officer’s commands and Freeman eventually moves from the back to the front seat and starts the vehicle.

The officer gives multiple warnings before deploying a Taser, but it proved ineffective.

The in-car video shows a second officer arriving on scene as the struggle continued.

As the second officer got out, Freeman gained control of the carjacked vehicle, according to police. The car accelerated forward into the second patrol vehicle, injuring the officer. A third officer and her partner also had arrived and their car, too, was rammed.

The suspect vehicle then reversed and hit the second officer’s vehicle again.

Two officers shot their weapons toward the stolen vehicle as it drove away, police said, with audio on the video capturing the sounds of gunfire. The vehicle was located in the 500 block of Las Palmas Avenue.

Freeman went to an area hospital, where he was found with non-life-threatening injuries, authorities said. After receiving medical clearance Feb. 13, Freeman was booked into the Sacramento County Main Jail on suspicion of assault on a peace officer and carjacking.

Authorities said the injured officer was taken to an area hospital, treated for a leg injury and released.

The incident is being investigated by the Sacramento Police Department’s Internal Affairs Division and Professional Standards Unit. The Sacramento Police Department’s Force Investigation Team will also investigate the incident and will focus on policy, tactics, and training regarding the use of force, the department said.

The Sacramento Police Department encourages any witnesses with information regarding this incident to contact the dispatch center at 916-264-5471 or Sacramento Valley Crime Stoppers at 916-443-HELP (4357).

Callers can remain anonymous and may be eligible for a reward up to $1,000. Anonymous tips can also be submitted using the free “P3 Tips” smartphone app.

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